Hollow-Core Fiber in Laser Systems: A New Option Beyond Conventional Fibers

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Hollow-Core Fiber in Laser Systems: A New Option Beyond Conventional Fibers

2026-02-06

As laser systems continue to push toward higher power, narrower linewidths, and shorter pulse durations, traditional solid-core optical fibers are gradually approaching their physical limits. Nonlinear effects such as SBS, SRS, and self-phase modulation increasingly constrain further performance improvements. In this context, Hollow-Core Fiber (HCF) has emerged as a promising and strategic option for next-generation laser architectures.

Unlike conventional fibers where light propagates through silica, HCF guides light predominantly in air. This fundamental difference leads to dramatically lower optical nonlinearity and higher peak power handling capability, making HCF especially attractive for ultra-short pulse (ps/fs) lasers, narrow-linewidth systems, coherent beam combining, and advanced scientific or defense applications.

However, adopting HCF is not simply a matter of replacing one fiber with another. From a manufacturing and integration perspective, fiber splicing, cleaving, and end-face quality become critical system-level factors rather than routine processes.

In ultra-short pulse laser systems, peak power can be several orders of magnitude higher than the average power. Any imperfection—micro-cracks, contamination, mode mismatch, or structural collapse at the splice point—can become an immediate failure trigger. Similarly, poor cleaving quality or sub-micron defects on the fiber end face may lead to localized field enhancement, air breakdown, or catastrophic damage during operation.

This is where specialized fiber processing equipment plays a decisive role.

Advanced fusion splicers designed for specialty fibers, along with high-precision cleavers optimized for large mode field and micro-structured fibers, are essential to ensure:

Stable mode-field transition

Minimal structural distortion

High repeatability and long-term reliability

As HCF moves from laboratory demonstrations into real laser products, the bottleneck is no longer only fiber design, but also how well the fiber can be processed, integrated, and maintained.

Looking ahead, hollow-core fiber is unlikely to replace conventional fibers in mainstream industrial CW laser systems in the near term. Instead, its future lies in high-end, performance-driven laser applications, where pushing physical limits justifies higher complexity and cost. In these systems, reliable splicing and cleaving are not optional—they are the foundation of system stability.

For laser manufacturers and service providers, investing in proper fiber processing solutions today means being ready for the laser technologies of tomorrow.

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